Vote and House seat representation 1949
- 2001

In single member electorates,
such as Australia's, seat majorities grow exponentially as the vote majority
grows. That is, for each extra percent of the vote over 50, a party can expect
more than that in seats.

The graph shows
Coalition and Labor two party preferred vote percentages
at all elections since 1949 - blue
and red lines respectively, with small squares at election points. Two other lines, same colours for
each party
butfuzzier with triangles at elections, show
the proportion of house of reps seats won.

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

Hovering the mouse over any part of a
line gives date and vote and seat data.

It reminds us that all the big wins
belong to the Coalition, most recent being Howard's defeat of Keating in 1996.

Harold
Holt's 1966 win had the biggest vote majority, but Malcolm Fraser had the
biggest seat ones in 1975 and 1977. Note also 1954, 1961, 1969, 1990 and 1998
when the winner of the vote lost the election.